Various magazine releases and/or retaining apparatus may be used to retain a magazine within a magazine chamber of a firearm and/or to enable the magazine to be released from the magazine chamber to, for example, exchange the magazine.
Some magazines in accordance with NATO standards include a magazine catch on a left side of the magazine. If such a magazine is fully inserted into a magazine chamber of a firearm, a magazine latch of the firearm engages the magazine catch to secure the magazine within the firearm. The magazine latch may be a spring-loaded magazine releasing and/or retaining mechanism disposed in and/or on the weapon receiver. The magazine latch may be used in connection with magazine-loaded firearms such as, for example, rifles, assault rifles, light machine guns, submachine guns, pistols, etc.
To release the magazine from the firearm, in some examples, the magazine latch includes an actuatable handle. If a marksman actuates the handle, the magazine latch is moved away from the magazine catch to release the magazine and enable the magazine to be removed from the magazine chamber.
After the magazine is removed from the magazine chamber, a different magazine can be positioned within the magazine chamber and secured relative thereto based on the interaction between the magazine latch of the receiver and the magazine catch of the magazine. In some instances, a right-handed marksman may actuate the handle of the magazine latch using his/her index finger. Some magazine latches are only operable on the right side of the firearm. Thus, left handed marksmen may find difficulty actuating such magazine latches